A group of Policemen stationed in Nelliyady Police Station in
Vadamaradchchi had gone into a private property in Thunnalai recently and had felled large number of palmyra
trees, residents said.

Top army and
police officials including representatives of the international and
national non-governmental organizations agreed at a conference held on 10th December 2004 at the Jaffna district secretariat to stop
felling valuable trees to safeguard the environment of the district. Security forces resuming cutting trees again violates this agreement, civil sources said.

It was pointed out at the conference that about one million trees have been
felled by security forces to strengthen their forward defense lines, camps
and police stations and also for the construction of bunkers and sentry
points in the peninsula during the two decade old war , civil sources said.